Level 7: #69
Chapter: Comic, Level 7 — Circus Minimus
Rusty & Co.
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Now what’s her plan to avoid taking a lava bath?
it being an illusion?
Maybe she pulled a thorn out of a Blargg’s paw at some point and it’s going to return the favor.
Good question! Her agility stats must be off the chart to pull that off — if it’s real lava.
What plan?
7d10 and a decent Con bonus, looks like.
But as we all now, it’s “You fall into lava, you die”.
http://www.scratchfactory.com/Resources/LavaBanners/LavaRules.pdf
So, where 500 pounds Gorilla doesn’t even bend the thread, a jumping girl launches it into air. Physics, anyone? Is it your creative crisis that we now watch one duel for half a year?
It’s a fantasy campaign. Physics are discretionary.
Also, if you don’t like that answer, the sheer weight of Maddie’s awesomness pulled the rope down.
Actually, the Girallon’s weight did bend the rope (last panel previous page). It was making Maddie slide down toward it.
On today’s page, all the foes are jumping up on the first panel, so no more weight on the rope. So far, it’s consistent. And then they come down, uh, well…
Scuse me, I have to go. Er, I have to iron my dog.
No, no, no, it goes like this.
Maddie’s player: …and that’s my plan.
DM: Physics won’t work, you’ll just fall in the lava.
Maddie’s player (Earnest puppy dog eyes): But it’s what Paladins do.
DM: OK Fine, but you have a Dex check at -6, you have to roll a natural 20 crit and the crit roll needs to be a 20 as well to launch them.
Maddie’s player: Great. (Rolls Dex check) Got it. (Rolls attack) Awesome! A 20! (DM thinks, this can’t succeed, right?) ANOTHER 20! WHOO HOOO! Maddie Rocks! So what happens?
DM (thinking hard): So, your Lay Hands earlier called your Deity’s attention to your plight. Seeing as you were smiting baddies and outnumbered, the Deity set aside physics locally for your audacious plan. Now since you are falling and Deities like worshippers who help themsel… And we close the fourth wall and wait for next weeks excellent installment.
Kizarvexis
Sounds legit to me.
Heh, I’d love to see the physics equations involved in a small halfling launching a high-speed rhinoceros from a 2′ by 4′ tube. I could show them to a physicist and just watch the expression on their face
Actually, some physicists I’ve read about might be up to trying to describe that in equations, just for the giggles
nah, we’ve got an explanation for that. I don’t have time to track down the strip, but Presti spelled the rhino-gun to be nearly weightless in order to minimize recoil.
Now this highwire trick? Makes no sense. But that’s ok by me because 1. it’s Maddie 2. awesomesauce
Now I’m just waiting to see how she deals with the lava…
It’s all very simple, really. Toon Physics.
Randall Munroe, over at xkcd.
Also, I’m pretty sure anyone who wasn’t trying to get themselves launched into the air would get struck by the rope (for damage) and knocked off of it, rather than being thrown into the air.
The gorrilion or however it’s spelled and Boot Cut boy landed on the rope from simultaneous jumps, and eir combined force plus Maddie’s jump propelled her high in the air(try it on a trampoline.) Maddie’s descent put all that force back on the rope, which then returned it to the baddies by straightening.
Actually the Girallon seems rather light to begin with. Perhaps some magic was used to make it lighter (so it could go on the high wire?) or perhaps it’s not a real Girallon but a shapeshifted clown?
That would explain how it could be launched
Yea, that tutu might well be for more than just show. If it drops the wearer’s weight to 10% or something, that would make the ape a much better acrobat, particularly for stuff high up in the air.
It also makes some of Maddie’s moves in the previous figh more logical, notably the bit where she swung the ape into the tank by its hand without raising a sweat or even bending the trident.
I don’t think Boot Cut is a boy…
What if Maddie pulls on the wire as she lands? She’s got to have a pretty high STR, but I honestly don’t know how much pulling on a wire would increase its boinginess if you’re already hanging from it.
It wasn’t just her jumping; she was launched up into the air by the gorilla landing next to her. Of course, she would still then only be able to launch the gorilla the same height or less than the height of its previous jump, but that’s where toon physics and/or magic come in.
You’re complaining about this NOW?
http://rustyandco.com/comic/level2/level-2-10/
Fast and loose with physics has been in the comic for ages.
the 5oo pound gorilla is trying to keep its balance …you may notice that when maddie jumps it doesn’t move the cable. but when she is coming down and catches it its like a tight rubber band it takes less weight to snap it rather than stand on it …i for one am glad he didn’t close up shop entirely i have seen several good web comics do just that …cause sadly web comics dont always pay the bills …that’s why they’re called starving artists
In this comic there is a not-too-bright paladin battling a xvart assassin and a pink girallon in a tutu, all on a high wire over a sea of lava. Inside a gigantic circus tent.
Of COURSE it’s going to be ridiculous. Do you have a problem with an entirely appropriate cartoonish solution to this situation? It’s been happening repeatedly throughout the entire run of this webcomic.
I friggin’ love it. Mike, please continue with the awesomeness.
Derro Assassin. Xvarts have wings.
We already have seen Anti-Madeline.
Now, the anti-cliffhanger – no cliff, and nothing to hang on…
That’s why we love you, Maddie!
Everyone, for a limited time only, see the Human Ballista in action at D. D. Burnum’s Big Top Circus.
I was sure “cartoon Physics” was an epic level feat.
Now she just has to spread her wings and fly off into the sunset… wait, does Maddie have wings?
She is a DnD paladin, not a WoW ret paladin =P
Belt of levitation?
Lava? Boots of water walking and ring of elemental resistance +30. Bam!!! Problem solved.
Now she just needs to get a hold of those things before she hits the lava. Hopefully she can roll some good random encounters on the way down…
This is the BESTEST Circus EVAH!
It’s okay.
Maybe her deity will pull some string for her.
I think he just did actually….
I think probably most important is “great drawing, good story, thanks for doing this, I’m enjoying it.”
But the wire might be explained just by “stuff happens off panel.”
Panel 1. Wire is horizontal. Opponents are coming down. Maddie is preparing to leap.
Panel 1.5 (Not shown). Wire is down. Opponents have come down. Maddie jumps as wire is at bottom.
Panel 2. Wire is horizontal. Wire and opponents are “rebounding” back into place. Maddie is near apex of her jump.
Panel 2.5. (Not shown). Wire is going down/is down due to opponents weight on it. Maddie is still “mid jump.”
Panel 3. Wire is down. Maddie’s fall takes it further.
Panel 4 & 5. The release. Maddie goes down. Others go up.
Of course, still need other “padding” for how the weights/physics really works out. No way that the opponents would be catapulted like that without “special physics.” Not unless Maddie was much heavier than the other two. But the wire up/down is okay I think, if you just say “a few panels weren’t shown.”
And the more important question is “Why leap into lava?” Some interesting ideas above. Will wait to find out. This didn’t seem like a “my sacrifice is worth it here” situation.
Oh .. . one more thought. When is the “clown make-up” that they picked up in the Tavern lost and found going to come into play?
I am pretty sure that lava is an illusion. If it was not – all three of them would be long roasted from convection alone. Also there in no inflow or outflow of lava in this pool, which means that lava is always the same and it is motionless, which means that it must be constantly intensely heated to remain liquid, but there is no such heaters is sight.
It’s certainly likely. But lest we forget, http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ConvectionSchmonvection is rarely averted in fiction. ^_^
@dancing fox& beholder both are awesome answers